June 7, 2025
Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know”
Saturday, June 7 2024
Santa Anita Park
Specifically designed for the rolling exotic player, Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know” isolates those horses that should be included in daily doubles, pick-3s, pick-4s, pick-5s, and the pick-6.
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Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.
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Santa Anita Race 1: Post: 1:00 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 5-News At Ten (GB); 3-Nation.
Backups: none.
Forecast: News At Ten (GB) hasn’t won in a long time but at least he’s getting close. Just 1-for-15 in his career with seven seconds and thirds, the P. Eurton-trained gelding has developed a reputation as a non-winning type, and that makes him hard to back with confidence. However, the switch to J. Hernandez is monumental and could make the winning difference, so will put this Irish-bred gelding on top while also including on the top line Nation , fresh from a confidence-building maiden claiming win in gate-to-wire fashion with a good figure and likely to employ similar tactics right back.
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Santa Anita Race 2: Post: 1:32 PT Grade: B
Main Ticket: 2-Knightwithlouis.
Backups: 3-Petite Treat; 4-Approval Rating.
Forecast: Knightwithlouis returns to the mid-grade claiming level where she belongs after being overmatched in her last three starts. With her best effort, she’s quick enough to make the lead against this group and then survive in the final furlong. However, there’s not a lot of value to be found at or near her morning line of 7/5.
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Santa Anita Race 3: Post: 2:02 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 5-Man Child; 2-Zimba Warrior; 4-Ready to Pounce.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Man Child is a first-off-the-claim play for a high percentage outfit and seems likely to produce improvement. In the frame in five of his last six starts with two wins, the Creative Cause gelding should be forwardly placed throughout and have every chance to regain his winning form. Zimba Warrior returns to his winning level after being pitched too high in his last pair. He’s a five-time winner over the local main track and is strictly the one to beat. Ready to Pounce has races to go back to that puts him in the fray, so we’ll toss him in, but his last two outings don’t exactly inspire confidence.
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Santa Anita Race 4: Post: 2:34 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 6-Subic Boy; 5-Milken Cookies
Backups: 7-Curlin Command; 9-Miles Finch.
Forecast: Subic Boy walked out of the gate in his debut to be virtually eliminated, then made a premature wide move to enter contention at the head of the lane, failed to change leads, and then wasn’t knocked about late when sixth (beaten five lengths) in a similar maiden special weight sprint on the main track last month. He’ll try grass today and if he makes no mistakes should improve a ton, so at 10-1 on the morning line, he’s a gamble. Milken Cookies is an intriguing and dangerous first times starter from the P. D’Amato barn. We haven’t seen him on video – he’s been prepared at Los Alamitos – but the works look decent, and he’s bred for grass.
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Santa Anita Race 5: Post: 3:04 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 3-Elsa Dutton; 8- Lil’ Boom Boom.
Backups: 2-Flash That Smile.
Forecast: Elsa Dutton stayed on willingly to be second in a similar maiden $50,000 dash for state-bred fillies and mares and not much more should be needed to graduate today. Three steady works since raced give reason to believe that another forward move is likely. Lil’ Boom Boom is drawn comfortably outside and is a first time Lasix user. In the money in her last four starts, the daughter of Stay Thirsty gets a break in the weights and is a solid fit on speed figures.
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Santa Anita Race 6: Post: 3:34 PT Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 12-Mio Bambino; 2- Sir Rocket.
Backups: 4-Catmansue.
Forecast: Mio Bambino earned a career top speed figure when winning over the flat course facing starter’s foes last time out and should be competitive right back despite the switch to the Hillside Course and the raise in class to the first level allowance ranks. He’s lacking in tactical speed and will need some help up front but if the A. Mathis-trained gelding can work out a trip he’ll be dangerous at 5-1 on the morning line. Sir Rocket is lightly raced with room to improve. The N. Drysdale-trained gelding has the proper style for this layout and projects to have dead aim crossing the dirt and through the lane.
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Santa Anita Race 7: Post: 4:22 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 7-Cash Call; 1-Thought Process.
Backups: none.
Forecast: Cash Call stretches out for the first time and has the pedigree to handle two turns. Her recent first level allowance sprint win was impressive, as was her maiden score two races back, with both earning stakes quality speed figures. She doesn’t need the lead to win; in fact, as a presser and/or stalker the daughter of McKinzie should be quite comfortable. Thought Process returns following a highly productive juvenile campaign. She did have one dirt outing – her debut – but her form was established on grass and it’s tough to say if she’ll be as good on the main track as a 3-year-old. However, her comeback works have been borderline spectacular for P. D’Amato, who is strong with the layoff angle. You have to use her.
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Santa Anita Race 8: Post: 4:52 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 1-Ottoman Prince (Ire)
Backups: 11-Jeweled Shillelagh; 12-Spycatcher.
Forecast: Ottoman Prince (Ire) blew away a $32,000 claiming field over this course and distance last month while earning a speed figure good enough to beat this first level allowance field. There’s no reason why he can’t come back and do it again. It’s taken awhile for the Irish-bred gelding to get acclimated but now that he has the P. D’Amato-trained import should string together similar sharp efforts. At 4-1 on the morning line, he’s a good gamble in the win pool and in the various exotics.
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Santa Anita Race 9: Post: 5:22 PT Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 6-Cela Hall; 5-Ponytail Pete.
Backups: 4-Tropical Rain Day.
Forecast: Cela Hall ran okay in her debut last month when third in straight maiden state bred company and today surfaces in a maiden $50,000 affair. We’re surprised at bit at the class drop, but the Jimmy Creed filly is a homebred from a barn that likes to win races and this is a field she should be ablet to beat. Ponytail Pete has shown some ability in morning trials and while we doubt she’s a world beater the daughter of Ministers Wild Cat should fit very well with these.
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Santa Anita Race 10: Post: 5:52 PT Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 11-Edge of Mali (Ire).
Backups: 2-Auntie; 12-Church Lady (Ire).
Forecast: Edge of Mali (Ire) raced in heavy traffic but then stayed on well to be second (galloped out strongly) in her debut over the Dundalk all-weather surface in Ireland, after which she was sent to California and high percentage trainer J. Mullins. Her local breezes have been impressive and should have her primed for a major effort first time off the plane. She’s facing an okay group of maidens, but nothing as good as Currawood, the filly who beat her overseas and then came back to win again before hitting the board in two listed stakes. She’s a major gamble at anywhere near her morning line of 6-1.
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Jeff Siegel’s Blog: “What You Need to Know” for Santa Anita – Saturday, June 7, 2025
